Ricky Hatton's TV deal with Primetime: Is it all about pride or profit?

With the huge popularity of Ricky Hatton as a boxing attraction, the decision to have his fight broadcast on pay-per-view only channel Primetime smacks of a money-grabbing exercise, writes boxing blogger George Ogier

Comeback: Ricky Hatton's return will attract headlines, but without major TV exposure, it'll attract less viewers

There can't be many sports fans in the UK who aren't aware that the most popular British boxer of all time, Ricky Hatton is coming out of retirement to fight again on November 24th.

Even before the return was officially announced there had been talk of Hatton getting into shape and avoiding the Guinness and fast food that had led some to dub him “Ricky Fatton”.

The reasons behind the Manchester man's decision to re-enter the ring have been hotly debated ever since the plans were made public. Hatton himself has maintained that it is simply to “redeem himself” in the eyes of his family, and perhaps more importantly his fans.

Hatton's seemingly career ending loss to Manny Pacquiao had a devastating effect on the two-weight world champion's psyche and a spell in rehab followed. It was clear that Ricky felt he had let down those around him and those who had paid an awful lot of money to support him fighting across the world.

Since overcoming his personal problems Hatton has made something of a name for himself as a trainer and promoter. It is this career change that has led many to believe there is another reason for the fight against former WBA welterweight king, Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Ricky's company, Hatton Promotions had a deal with Sky Sports to televise cards they were promoting. This came to an end when Sky began to restructure their boxing output and opted to work almost exclusively with Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom stable.

This left Hatton Promotions without a TV deal and despite having a roster of excellent young boxers including Scott Quigg and Martin Murray there appeared to be no takers.

As a result, when Hatton's comeback was announced there were plenty of people suggesting that it was to secure his company a new broadcasting agreement. After all, the return of the Hitman was TV gold.

Speculation was rife as to who would get to show Hatton v Senchenko and the supporting contests that include a highly anticipated rematch between between Quigg and Rendall Munroe. The usual suspects were apparently all in the running, BoxNation, ESPN and the terrestrial powers of Channel 5.

It therefore came as a surprise to some yesterday when Hatton announced via Twitter that the fight would be appearing on the lesser known pay-per-view channel Primetime.

Primetime are gaining an increasing foothold in the UK boxing market. This expansion hasn't always been greeted warmly though. When Amir Khan fell out with Sky Sports over his match with Paul McCloskey in 2011 it was Primetime that took over the broadcast. Many fans saw the move as a way to exploit the viewing public for more money and the PPV buys that night were reportedly poor.

More recently Primetime have shown the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez that sparked a judging controversy. The jewel in their crown has to this point been the fight last month between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr but for a UK audience a Hatton fight is huge news.

With all the excitement surrounding the events of November 24th why would anyone complain about Primetime? Put simply, money. Promoters are now giving the impression that fight fans are an inexhaustible revenue stream to be tapped up at every opportunity.

In the UK at the moment there are at least five subscription or pay-per-view channels regularly showing boxing. It goes without saying that I love the sport and to make sure I get the best of the action I pay for Sky Sports, ESPN and BoxNation. On top of this I need to pay one-off fees to the likes of Premier Sports and Primetime to watch other cards.

I am well aware that there is no obligation for me pay for these channels but I can't think of another sport where fans are asked to spread their money across so many providers.

If the reason for Hatton's return is one of pride then tucking the fight away on Primetime makes very little sense.

The channel has the rights to one of the biggest nights in British boxing in a very long time. Strange then that a visit to their website tells us that we can watch a live stream of the weigh in for the Martinez v Chavez Jr fight. As of 2pm today there is no mention of Ricky Hatton. To call it unprofessional would be the tip of the iceberg.

With that in mind it appears as though this fight is as much about money as anything else. I have always said that Hatton has achieved enough in the sport to make his own choices and have people respect them.

It just seems a shame that for a fighter who based much of his public persona on being a man of the people he seems keen to wring the last drop of money out of a fanbase that still adore him.